Has Russia Made A Fool Of U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry (Again)?

Russia Makes A Fool of Kerry (Again) -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

The report this morning on the front page of the New York Times that Russia is sending a new batch of advanced arms to Syria is very bad news for those who hoped international isolation would lead to the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. Despite constant predictions over the past two years from President Obama and others in the West that it was only a matter of time before this evil dictator would be forced out, Assad is holding his own. The rebels have not only failed to push him out of Damascus but, if recent accounts of the fighting there are true, they have lost ground as the regime has rolled back the tide of unrest all across the country. Though the rebellion may have fractured the country, as a separate front-page story in the Times testifies, with Iran and its Hezbollah auxiliaries doubling down on their backing for Assad on the ground and emboldened by Russia’s diplomatic support as well as its efforts to resupply the regime’s military, it’s hard to see why anyone would think the dictator is going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

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My Comment: As this blog predicted .... today's announcement of more Russian weapons to the Syrian regime puts a nail to any hope that Russia will pressure the Assad regime to search for a compromise. On the contrary .... Assad and his followers are now embolden, and the war continues.

So much for U.S. hopes and diplomacy that they and the Russians were on the same page on Syria contrary to what critics (like yours truly) were saying. My message to U.S. Secretary of State Kerry is now simple .... fool me once .... shame on you. Fool me twice .... shame on me. The Russians have just fooled you twice.

Update: Why Russia won't cut Syria loose -- Peter Fragiskatos, Special to CNN